Fault Ride-Through Capability Enhancement of VSC HVDC connected Offshore Wind Power Plants

To achieve active control of the AC voltage magnitude of wind power plant(WPP) collector network and improve the fault ride-through (FRT) capability,an FRT scheme based on feed forward DC voltage contr...     

Characterizing In‐Plane Geometrical Variability in Textile Ceramic Composites

We present a methodology for characterizing and reconstructing in‐plane weave variability in textile composites. Surface topography of a partially processed C‐fiber/SiC matrix composite panel was measured using digital image correlation. The centroids of tow segments that appear periodically on the fabric surface were located by image analysis and used as fiducial markers. Stochastic deviations of the fiducial markers from the ideal periodic weave structure indicate geometrical variance. Fourier analysis shows that spatial wavelengths of the deviations range from the size of one unit cell to the dimensions of the entire panel. Long‐range deviations are attributed principally to fabric deformation after manufacture, during handling. Short‐range fluctuations, extracted by computing spatial derivatives of the positions of the fiducial markers, are attributed to variations in tow packing density that arises during weaving. A simple set of statistics for these deviations is presented and its use in generating stochastic virtual specimens is demonstrated.     

Soft X‐ray Ptychographic Imaging and Morphological Quantification of Calcium Silicate Hydrates (C–S–H)

Morphological details of calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) stemming from the hydration process of Portland cement (PC) phases are crucial for understanding the PC‐based systems but are still only partially known. Here we introduce the first soft X‐ray ptychographic imaging of tricalcium silicate (C₃S) hydration products. The results are compared using both scanning transmission X‐ray and electron transmission microscopy data. The evidence shows that ptychography is a powerful method to visualize the details of outer and inner product C–S–H of fully hydrated C₃S, which have fibrillar and an interglobular structure with average void sizes of 20 nm, respectively. The high‐resolution ptychrography image enables us to perform morphological quantification of C–S–H, and, for the first time, to possibly distinguish the contributions of inner and outer product C–S–H to the small angle scattering of cement paste. The results indicate that the outer product C–S–H is mainly responsible for the q^?3 regime, whereas the inner product C–S–H transitions to a q^?2 regime. Various hypotheses are discussed to explain these regimes.     

Assessing the performance of long-term care information systems and the continued use intention of users

The needs of long-term care (LTC) have increased substantially worldwide. In particular, Taiwanese society has experienced an increasing aging population because of the sharp decline in the birth rate and advanced medical technology. Some LTC facilities have introduced information technologies to satisfy the substantial demand. Compared with the high level of informatization observed at Taiwanese hospitals, LTC facilities still exhibit low informatization levels despite belonging to the same industry. Therefore, this study evaluated the system use performance and continued use intentions of the long-term care information system (LTCIS) by applying the well-known theories of the task-technology fit, system satisfaction, and postacceptance continuance models used in information systems area. The results showed that users’ assessment of whether the LTCIS fulfilled their work and task needs primarily depended on the system quality, locatability of data, timeliness, ease of use, and system-user relationship. These factors also exerted a crucial influence on system use performance and user satisfaction. Moreover, the system use performance and user satisfaction further affected intentions of continued use.     

The unintended consequences of government policies and programmes for public open spaces in inner-urban Sydney

Sport is important internationally; but in Australia, it is part of the national identity. The enjoyment of public open space for sport is, therefore, an assumed community right. We interviewed key staff from inner Sydney councils about management issues associated with public open space. The greatest concern was sporting fields – formal and informal – which were considered to have exceeded carrying capacity mainly because of the unintended outcomes of government programmes/policies spanning; (1) ‘healthy lifestyles’ which increased public open space use; (2) ‘urban consolidation’ increased inner-city population density with associated increased usage and loss of open space; (3) ‘temporal water restriction’ during drought (not ‘water budgets’) which intensify management issues; and (4) ‘building the education revolution’, meaning that public open space lost from schools results in increased pressure on public open space. Consequences have increased human pressure on public open space without commensurate consideration for the management and/or expansion of these areas.     

A boronic acid-based fluorescent hydrogel for monosaccharide detection

A boronic acid-based anthracene fluorescent probe was functionalised with an acrylamide unit to incorporate into a hydrogel system for monosaccharide detection. In solution, the fluorescent probe displayed a strong fluorescence turn-on response upon exposure to fructose, and an expected trend in apparent binding constants, as judged by a fluorescence response where D-fructose>D-galactose>D-mannose>D-glucose. The hydrogel incorporating the boronic acid monomer demonstrated the ability to detect monosaccharides by fluorescence with the same overall trend as the monomer in solution with the addition of D-fructose resulting in a 10-fold enhancement (≤0.25 mol/L).     

Isolation and characterisation of a novel angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptide from the algae protein waste

A hendeca-peptide with angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity was isolated from the pepsin hydrolysate of algae protein waste, a mass-produced industrial by-product of an algae essence from microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris. Edman degradation revealed its amino acid sequence to be Val-Glu-Cys-Tyr-Gly-Pro-Asn-Arg-Pro-Gln-Phe. Inhibitory kinetics revealed a non-competitive binding mode with IC₅₀ value against ACE of 29.6 μM, suggesting a potent amount of ACE inhibitory activity compared with other peptides from the microalgae protein hydrolysates which have a reported range between 11.4 and 315.3 μM. In addition, the purified hendeca-peptide completely retained its ACE inhibitory activity at a pH range of 2–10, temperatures of 40–100 °C, as well as after treatments in vitro by a gastrointestinal enzyme, thus indicating its heat- and pH-stability. The combination of the biochemical properties of this isolated hendeca-peptide and a cheap algae protein resource make an attractive alternative for producing a high value product for blood pressure regulation as well as water and fluid balance.     

Association of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) with age of puberty among children living near a chemical plant

Animal studies suggest that perfluorocarbons (PFCs) may alter sexual maturation. Relationships of human PFC exposure with puberty are not clear. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate whether perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were associated with indicators of sexual maturation in a 2005-2006 survey of residents with PFOA water contamination from the Mid-Ohio Valley. Participants were 3076 boys and 2931 girls aged 8-18 years. They were classified as having reached puberty based on either hormone levels (total >50 ng/dL and free >5 pg/mL testosterone in boys and estradiol >20 pg/mL in girls) or onset of menarche. We estimated the odds of having reached puberty classified by these criteria and the fitted median age of reaching puberty in relation to serum PFOA and PFOS concentrations measured when puberty status was assigned. For boys, there was a relationship of reduced odds of reached puberty (raised testosterone) with increasing PFOS (delay of 190 days between the highest and lowest quartile). For girls, higher concentrations of PFOA or PFOS were associated with reduced odds of postmenarche (130 and 138 days of delay, respectively). In conclusion, our study showed a later age of puberty in this population correlated with PFC concentrations.     

Simulation of autothermal reforming in a staged‐separation membrane reactor for pure hydrogen production

Steam methane reforming with oxygen input is simulated in staged‐separation membrane reactors. The configuration retains the advantage of regular membrane reactors for achieving super‐equilibrium conversion, but reaction and membrane separation are carried out in two separate units. Equilibrium is assumed in the models given the excess of catalyst. The optimal pure hydrogen yield is obtained with 55% of the total membrane area allocated to the first of two modules. The performance of the process with pure oxygen input is only marginally better than with air. Oxygen must be added in split mode to reach autothermal operation for both reformer modules, and the oxygen input to each module depends on the process conditions. The effects of temperature, steam‐to‐carbon ratio and pressure of the reformer and the area of the membrane modules are investigated for various conditions. Compared with a traditional reformer with an ex situ membrane purifier downstream, the staged reactor is capable of much better pure hydrogen yield for the same autothermal reforming operating conditions.